At VAROPreem, you will work at the intersection of complex industrial operations, commercial excellence, and long‑term
sustainability. As Category Manager – Technical Services, you will play a key role in securing critical services that enable safe,
reliable, and future‑ready refinery and terminal operations across Europe.
About VAROPreem
VAROPreem is a leading European energy company with refining and terminal operations across Europe. We play a critical role in
delivering a secure and responsible energy supply while actively driving the transition towards more sustainable energy solutions.
Safety, integrity, and long‑term value creation are core to our operations.
About the role
As Category Manager, you have end‑to‑end responsibility for the Technical Services category across VAROPreem’s operations,
covering services that support maintenance, turnarounds, construction, and project execution at refineries and terminals.
You develop and implement category strategies that create sustainable value through cost efficiency, strong risk and contract
management, high supplier performance, and alignment with safety, sustainability, and governance requirements. The role is senior
and strategic, with close collaboration across Operations, Maintenance, Projects, Legal, Finance, and HSE.
The position can be based in Gothenburg or Lysekil, and includes travel within Sweden and Europe.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Defining and driving category strategies based on business needs, market intelligence, and risk assessment.
Creating sustainable value through cost efficiency, reduced execution risk, and strong supplier performance.
- Securing resilient supply markets through supplier, market, and risk analyses, ensuring access to qualified suppliers
nationally and internationally.
- Developing and owning contracting strategies and frameworks, including drafting, negotiating, and managing contracts in close
collaboration with Legal and key stakeholders.
- Establishing and leading Supplier Relationship Management for strategic suppliers, driving performance and continuous
improvement.
- Leading cross‑functional category teams, acting as a senior commercial and contractual advisor, and defining and monitoring
category KPIs.
- Integrating sustainability, safety, compliance, and responsible sourcing into all category strategies and supplier management
activities.
What we offer
At VAROPreem, you will become part of a welcoming workplace characterized by trust, collaboration, and strong development
opportunities. The energy market is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades, and we are driven by a clear
purpose: to meet today’s energy needs while accelerating the transition towards more sustainable energy solutions.
We offer a role with freedom under responsibility, where you are encouraged to take initiative and actively contribute to shaping
and developing the business going forward.
Your background
We believe you bring more than ten years of experience from advanced procurement, with a strong focus on Technical Services. You
have experience from industries such as oil & gas, refining, petrochemicals, nuclear power, pulp & paper, or other heavy
industrial environments.
You have strong knowledge of international contracting and commercial models, and a proven ability to draft and negotiate legally
robust contracts. You are experienced in leading procurement initiatives in project‑intensive environments and are comfortable
making analytical, data‑driven decisions.
You hold a university degree in engineering, economics, law, or have equivalent experience. You are fluent in English, both
written and spoken. Proficiency in Swedish is considered an advantage but is not a requirement.
Who you are
You are a commercially driven professional with a solid understanding of commercial, contractual, and technical matters. You
combine a strategic mindset with a strong ability to execute and deliver results in complex environments.
As a skilled negotiator, you act with high integrity and build trust both internally and externally. You communicate clearly and
confidently and are comfortable engaging with and managing senior stakeholders across the organization.
Next steps
We look forward to receiving your application as soon as possible, and no later than september 7th 2026. Please apply by
submitting your CV and answering the screening questions. To ensure an objective and fair selection process, we use assessments as
part of the recruitment. Due to the summer holiday period, we expect to begin the selection process week 32.
If you have questions about the role or the recruitment process, you are welcome to contact Jean-Pierre Demmers,Head of
Procurement Category & Projects, jean-pierre.demmers@varopreem.se or Asrin Ali-Zadeh, Recruitment Partner
asrin.ali-zadeh@varopreem.se.
As VAROPreem operates within societally critical infrastructure, a background check as well as alcohol and drug testing are
conducted prior to any offer of employment. In connection with interviews, you will be required to present valid identification.
Where required for the position, a security clearance including a register check will be carried out in accordance with the
Swedish Protective Security Act.
Union representatives are available here.
We warmly welcome your application.